Friday, February 01, 2008

If you're a man, most likely, you've never tried to buy a good fitting bra. If you're a woman, I'm sure at some point, you've been in a dressing room, trying to hook/adjust/fit into a bra, frustrated by the annoyance that must be endured to support the breasts. (Not everyone needs to wear a bra, granted. On weekends and in the summer, I prefer soft tank tops instead of an underwire.)

I read a cute essay on Divine Caroline this week about a woman who somehow had gone around in a B cup bra and after a proper bra fitting moved up to her correct size: D. Which brings us around to the topic of bra fittings. I'm all for them, since it would be nice to be wearing something that fit properly. Just as I go to the tailor to have my clothes altered to my size, so should I be wearing the proper foundation underneath. Before my wedding, I took my gown to Lady Grace and had them help me choose a slip and bra to go under it, and it all looked great and was comfortable for a change.

Anyway, even though fittings are needed if you can't find a decent bra for yourself, it's easy enough to measure yourself, try a few on, and pick a bra on your own. But not so, according to Susan Nethero, of the new Intimacy store at Copley Place:

"This is not a product women can buy on their own,’’ said Nethero of Intimacy, which opened its first Boston store in December. ‘‘It’s a very technical product.’’

Give me a break. Women are not stupid, and they certainly know their own bodies better than the salespeople who go through a whole week of training in bra fittings to know how to pick out a decent bra. When I read this article about Intimacy, first I thought, "This is great! Customer service for women who don't want to wear Victoria's Secret crap* anymore." And then we find out that women aren't qualified to pick out their own bras, and suddenly, I no longer feel like stopping by Intimacy. While I like good service, I don't like being made to feel like I'm unqualified to know how to support my own breasts.

*Victoria's Secret used to be classy and for women of all ages. Now it's for 15 year olds who want the word "PINK" emblazoned on their asses. I do not shop there, nor do I recommend the store to anyone.

4
responses:

I was recently just fitted at a department store by a woman in lab coat with a nametag that said "certified bra fitter" or some other nonsense. I mean, I don't doubt her ability to read a tape measure. And I don't doubt that it's hard to get your own measurements, especially in this area of your body. But really? A lab coat? I had no idea it was so scientific. Is she worried she'll get breasts on her clothes, thus the need to cover them?

And I also thought I was a C cup but am actually a D. Ouch. Looks like the lady in the lab coat was right. Because the three bras I bought from her all fit perfectly.

The white lab coat is funny, and completely a marketing gimmick. I am, however, a firm believer that fitting bras is an art, not science. And absolutely women can do it themselves, they just need to know what a correctly fitting bra feels & looks like.